Science strikes again on cannabis

There’s a dramatic Gulf developing between scientists and politicians about cannabis. Today in Birmingham, one of Britain’s most respected drugs researchers, Roger Pertwee, Professor of Neuropharmacology at the University of Aberdeen, is advocating the wholesale decriminalisation of cannabis. In a speech to the British Science association he is saying that present policy is causing more harm than the drug itself. “I’m now talking about harm minimisation,” he says.

But are the politicians ready to listen? Professor Pertwee is only the latest in a cascade of experts who have concluded that the world’s approach to drug control is now systematically undermining the very societies that drugs laws are designed to protect.

Steady, not so fast. There is a raft of experts and carers who argue precisely the opposite point to professor Pertwee- they face the daily tradgedy of drug spurred schizophrenia, general mental illness, and addiction. Whilst few of them argue for still more incarceration, they do resist the idea that these substances should be commercially available.

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants to empty the prisons, not least to reduce costs. It’s estimated that half of all prisoners in British jails have either committed drug related crimes, or have committed crimes in which the criminalisation of drugs has played a part.

Two Sundays ago the Observer newspaper highlighted Portugal’s approach to drug abuse. Effectively, for the last ten years the Portuguese have discretely decriminalised the use of and possession of drugs. The sky has not fallen in. Portugal has not gone as far as Professor Pertwee is advocating today – licensing cannabis retail outlets.

When it comes to a serious debate about decriminalising drugs why do politicians tend to run scared?. Why? Even here in the UK they have reneged on the modest attempt to reduce the gravity of offences associated with cannabis – in 2009 reversing its classification back to class B after then Home Secretary Blunkett had lowered it to C in 2002. one step forward one back is hardly a serious drug policy.

Now California is waiting to vote in a Referendum in November on whether to decriminalise the drug in America’s most populous and most embattled drug state.

Now too, Mexico’s President, battling to save the life of his nation, is advocating the decriminalisation of drugs there. What is it about drugs and politicians? What chance the coalition will use its electoral power to take the step of decriminalising here? Think of the tax take, think of the crime reduction?

Is Roger Pertwee right, or is he just another ivory towered academic looking for a tree to bark up?